When I was a bartender (job through college), I called one of my older female customers "sweetie." She told me off. I went home and felt so bad about myself. But I have never made that mistake again.
Obama should not refer to anyone that way. It obviously makes people feel inferior and belittled.
Too much was made of that comment. I think Obama is the type of man who treats women very feminine, not in a negative way. Sometimes it is nice. Equal rights, can become an overkill. I would not mind if Obama called me sweetie.
No, sweetie, is not sexist: thinking men are more grand than women is. And a man with two daughters and a wife like his (with such an impressive background); well... does not leave much room to practice sexism.
I really doubt it was sexist....it was more dismissive! I call people sweetie all the time and mean it as a playful compliment...however...I have definitely used "sweetie" in a dismissive tone! Again this is garbage directed at Obama for "finger pointing" reasons. He needs to be called on the carpet for reasons a lot more severe than this! I'd really like to hear him answer ANYTHING with clarity! Hopefully, he won't use this to go to when he gets asked a real question!
Men can be "sweeties" too! It's more that he had to dismiss her than anything. But if he stopped to answer every question from a reporter, he wouldn't have time for anything else.I think when a person calls you sweetie, it's a compliment.
NOPE ! It was just too many questions at once,tweetz....he was simply letting her know he heard her........he had not intentions of not answering her quest.
I'm sure that happens but many women say it with out being sarcastic. Men and women say it. It not a sexist statement. No more than saying dude to man is sexist.
really looking into the whole context of who it was said..what was the intent ...was it purposefully to be-little her as a woman , or as a reporter?
Only he knows that. Did it sound like he did that ? I do not think so. Could he have commented to her in a slightly endearing manner? I hope we can really just lighten up for we need to look at the intent of how it was said. If so many reporters were in some manner pushing to get that interview moment, that few second blurb for their network from the candidate. we all have all seen what some celebs can experience with the press in how pushing and invasive some can be...who knows what is next we take away ..excuse me miss, mrs, mam
John Kerry, you're off the hook. John Edwards, we're giving you a well-deserved break. You guys were great flip-floppers in your day, but now you've been seriously upstaged. All hail the new King of Flip-Flop - Barack Obama.
As a rookie flip-flopper, Obama first drew the attention of the environmental lobby about this time last year:
Although summer hasn’t officially begun, flip-flop season is well underway and it appears Senator Obama has joined the club. Typically flip-floppers are criticized for their inability to stay firm on an issue, but in Obama’s case, his flop has many environmentalists flipping back his way.
On Tuesday Obama, whose support for coal-to-liquid has been widely criticized by environmentalists, sent out a press release clarifying his position on liquid coal:
Senator Obama supports research into all technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source of energy…However, unless and until this technology is perfected, Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than conventional fuels.
This “clarification” is an impor...
John Kerry, you're off the hook. John Edwards, we're giving you a well-deserved break. You guys were great flip-floppers in your day, but now you've been seriously upstaged. All hail the new King of Flip-Flop - Barack Obama.
As a rookie flip-flopper, Obama first drew the attention of the environmental lobby about this time last year:
Although summer hasn’t officially begun, flip-flop season is well underway and it appears Senator Obama has joined the club. Typically flip-floppers are criticized for their inability to stay firm on an issue, but in Obama’s case, his flop has many environmentalists flipping back his way.
On Tuesday Obama, whose support for coal-to-liquid has been widely criticized by environmentalists, sent out a press release clarifying his position on liquid coal:
Senator Obama supports research into all technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source of energy…However, unless and until this technology is perfected, Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than conventional fuels.
This “clarification” is an important step for the Obama campaign in trying to gain support from environmental organizations and voters.
For the Candidate of Hope and Change, there were bigger and better flip-flops yet to come. As his campain began to toss Obama's positions on issue after issue under the bus, the Senate's most liberal member made quite an impression on the Washington Post. Back in February, WaPo cited these "Top Obama Flip-Flops":
1. Special interests In January, the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as "special interest" money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of "working people" and says he is "thrilled" by their support.
2. Public financing Obama replied "yes" in September 2007 when asked if he would agree to public financing of the presidential election if his GOP opponent did the same. Obama has now attached several conditions to such an agreement, including regulating spending by outside groups. His spokesman says the candidate never committed himself on the matter.
3. The Cuba embargo In January 2004, Obama said it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow Castro." Speaking to a Cuban American audience in Miami in August 2007, he said he would not "take off the embargo" as president because it is "an important inducement for change."
4. Illegal immigration In a March 2004 questionnaire, Obama was asked if the government should "crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants." He replied "Oppose." In a Jan. 31, 2008, televised debate, he said that "we do have to crack down on those employers that are taking advantage of the situation."
5. Decriminalization of marijuana While running for the U.S. Senate in January 2004, Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use. In the Oct. 30, 2007, presidential debate, he joined other Democratic candidates in opposing the decriminalization of marijuana.
Top flip-flops? Pshaw, that was nearly four full months ago, and the man was just getting warmed up. And Obama's squirming on campaign finance hadn't even gotten off the ground. The New York Post recently ripped Obama for flipping on this and some other issues as well:
This isn't the first time Obama has, um, "changed" political lanes:
* He ripped Hillary Clinton for months for voting to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Days after Clinton conceded, Obama flipped and said he supported the definition.
* Obama repeatedly vowed to meet with various heads of terror states - most notably Ahmadinejad of Iran - "without preconditions." Then, with the nomination in sight, he zigzagged: "There's no reason why we would necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad. He's not the most powerful person in Iran."
* In October, he supported NAFTA expansion. In March, campaigning in the Ohio primary, he called for a "reopening" of the trade pact's terms. This week, he called his own primary rhetoric "overheated" and said NAFTA has had a positive effect on the US economy.
* Yesterday, after signaling opposition to nuclear power, he told Democratic governors he's open to expanding it.
That Obama is now the King of Flip-Flop will come as a surprise only to his devoted followers who have been too busy swooning over him to notice. Those of us not so easily smitten could have predicted this turn of events. In fact, some did. Consider this blogger who - in a post from August of 2007 titled "Obama The Anti-War Candidate NOW Says He’ll Invade Another Country!" - predicted:
I guarantee this guy is going to turn into the flip-flopping candidate just like his buddy Kerry did in 2003, 2004.
Obama's flip-flop on campaign finance was one that did manage to capture the attention of Mark Shields, a liberal columnist who, unlike most of his peers, still has some integrity.
Barack Obama made history this week. He became the first presidential nominee since Richard Nixon in 1972 to state that his campaign will be funded totally by private donations with no limits on spending.
It was a flip-flop of epic proportions. It was one that he could not rationalize or justify. His video was unconvincing. He looked like someone who was being kept as a hostage somewhere he was so absolutely unconvincing in it. It could not have passed a polygraph test.
I mean, coming up with this bogus argument the Republicans have so much more money -- the Republicans don't have so much more money. He's raised three times as much as John McCain has.
He has every possible committee, except Republican National Committee, Democrats at the Senate level, congressional level have this lopsided edge over Republicans. They spent three times as much, did Democratic leaning 527s, in the last election as did Republicans.
So what Obama didn't admit was, up until February of this year, when he told Tim Russert that not only would he aggressively seek an agreement on public financing, that he personally would sit down with John McCain and work it out, then, all of a sudden, they realized that all these small contributions were coming in and he was going to have a financial advantage in the fall against the Republican, and they grabbed it.
Hat Tip: NewsBusters' Noel Sheppard
Name an issue. Chances are, Obama has flipped on it. Jerusalem?
Within 24 hours of expressing his firm support for a united Jerusalem in a speech to a pro-Israel lobby organization, US Senator Barack Obama found himself forced to backtrack in the face of Arab anger on Thursday.
Debates with John McCain? Here's Obama before McCain challenged him to a series of town hall debates:
If John McCain wants to meet me anywhere, anytime, to have a debate about our respective policies in Iraq, Iran, the Middle East or around the world, that is a conversation I am happy to have.
Here's an Obama spokesperson after:
Mr. Plouffe called the McCain campaign’s offer “appealing,” but said they would prefer a format that is “less structured and lengthier than the McCain campaign suggests, one that more closely resembles the historic debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.”
Oh, well. So much for "anywhere, anytime." Obama fears going mano a mano with McCain on McCain's terms. No one would blame Obama for holding out for a more favorable deal, if only he had not said, "Anywhere, anytime."
If campaign finance was the most opportunistic of Obama's flip-flops, this one has to be the most disingenuous:
In 2007, his campaign told the Chicago Tribune he believed the Washington, D.C. gun ban was constitutional. Now they say that was an "inartful" explanation. Now, the public is supposed to be believe the message of the day from the Obama campaign, which is that of course he knew the gun ban was unconstitutional.
Obama seems to be working hard to make John Kerry look like a straight-shooter.
Now plenty of people oppose gun rights (I am not one of them), and if Obama really is one of these, why play politics with such a fundamental issue?
Oh wait, playing politics with issues is what Barack Obama does.
-snip-
-- Obama wants to reimpose a federal gun ban.
-- Obama voted against the sale of almost all ammunition used regularly for sport shooting and hunting.
-- Obama opposes Right to Carry laws.
-- Obama supports a complete ban on hand-gun ownership.
So now the King of Flip-Flop seems to want to run up the score. That worked so well for John Kerry in 2004, don't you think?
(more)
Its demeaning I think and not professional. I'm sure it would take more then one comment to get me fired. But it would create a problem, my boss is a woman (F&B director) so I know it wouldn't fly. and don't feel sorry for me I'm well paid and I have over a month in vacation days saved up after one year.
yes
He was caught with his true colors showing.no
no....I think it was meant as a term of endearment! I don't get my knickers in a bunch when the woman at the coffee shop calls me sweetie, or hun!no
Can't wait for the next word we pick apart. :)no
I'm guilty of doing it without thinking, honey, sweetie, baby, doll, not meant to be sexist, just a term of endearment.yes
It is not nit-picking. He is a professional, and he should address people in a professional manner.yes
When I was a bartender (job through college), I called one of my older female customers "sweetie." She told me off. I went home and felt so bad about myself. But I have never made that mistake again.Obama should not refer to anyone that way. It obviously makes people feel inferior and belittled.
no
Too much was made of that comment. I think Obama is the type of man who treats women very feminine, not in a negative way. Sometimes it is nice. Equal rights, can become an overkill. I would not mind if Obama called me sweetie.no
moderated...no
oh that's just stupid i can believe people think this is important, there way more important things in the world then him calling a girl sweetieno
No, sweetie, is not sexist: thinking men are more grand than women is. And a man with two daughters and a wife like his (with such an impressive background); well... does not leave much room to practice sexism.no
I really doubt it was sexist....it was more dismissive! I call people sweetie all the time and mean it as a playful compliment...however...I have definitely used "sweetie" in a dismissive tone! Again this is garbage directed at Obama for "finger pointing" reasons. He needs to be called on the carpet for reasons a lot more severe than this! I'd really like to hear him answer ANYTHING with clarity! Hopefully, he won't use this to go to when he gets asked a real question!Undecided
Well yes, but it didn't seem like he was gving any special attention to the male reporters over the womenno
Men can be "sweeties" too! It's more that he had to dismiss her than anything. But if he stopped to answer every question from a reporter, he wouldn't have time for anything else.I think when a person calls you sweetie, it's a compliment.Undecided
It was more a dismissive action, like he didn't want to answer another question, especially from this woman. It was a put down.no
omg ppl are just finding reasons to pick on the presidential canidates now.next we will be seeing "Obama was seen putting gas in his car! do you think hes the problem for our gas prices!"
no
I've been called Sweetie by a lot of ladies, but that's only because of being nice and respectful. I don't think it's sexist at all.no
No, it wasn't sexist; It was avoidance.no
I know women who would say that to other woman.Undecided
really looking into the whole context of who it was said..what was the intent ...was it purposefully to be-little her as a woman , or as a reporter?Only he knows that. Did it sound like he did that ? I do not think so. Could he have commented to her in a slightly endearing manner? I hope we can really just lighten up for we need to look at the intent of how it was said. If so many reporters were in some manner pushing to get that interview moment, that few second blurb for their network from the candidate. we all have all seen what some celebs can experience with the press in how pushing and invasive some can be...who knows what is next we take away ..excuse me miss, mrs, mam
no
just a slip of the tongue. the opposition is making something out of nothing.yes
Though most guys that are "light in the loafers" tend to talk like that anyway... so who knows?My new cloaking device seems to be effective :)
no
Nor, do I find it sexist when a waitress says "goodbye sweetie" when I leave a diner. That's just being picky and looking for a reason to hate.yes
John Kerry, you're off the hook. John Edwards, we're giving you a well-deserved break. You guys were great flip-floppers in your day, but now you've been seriously upstaged. All hail the new King of Flip-Flop - Barack Obama.As a rookie flip-flopper, Obama first drew the attention of the environmental lobby about this time last year:
Although summer hasn’t officially begun, flip-flop season is well underway and it appears Senator Obama has joined the club. Typically flip-floppers are criticized for their inability to stay firm on an issue, but in Obama’s case, his flop has many environmentalists flipping back his way.
On Tuesday Obama, whose support for coal-to-liquid has been widely criticized by environmentalists, sent out a press release clarifying his position on liquid coal:
Senator Obama supports research into all technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source of energy…However, unless and until this technology is perfected, Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than conventional fuels.
This “clarification” is an impor... John Kerry, you're off the hook. John Edwards, we're giving you a well-deserved break. You guys were great flip-floppers in your day, but now you've been seriously upstaged. All hail the new King of Flip-Flop - Barack Obama.
As a rookie flip-flopper, Obama first drew the attention of the environmental lobby about this time last year:
Although summer hasn’t officially begun, flip-flop season is well underway and it appears Senator Obama has joined the club. Typically flip-floppers are criticized for their inability to stay firm on an issue, but in Obama’s case, his flop has many environmentalists flipping back his way.
On Tuesday Obama, whose support for coal-to-liquid has been widely criticized by environmentalists, sent out a press release clarifying his position on liquid coal:
Senator Obama supports research into all technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source of energy…However, unless and until this technology is perfected, Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than conventional fuels.
This “clarification” is an important step for the Obama campaign in trying to gain support from environmental organizations and voters.
For the Candidate of Hope and Change, there were bigger and better flip-flops yet to come. As his campain began to toss Obama's positions on issue after issue under the bus, the Senate's most liberal member made quite an impression on the Washington Post. Back in February, WaPo cited these "Top Obama Flip-Flops":
1. Special interests In January, the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as "special interest" money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of "working people" and says he is "thrilled" by their support.
2. Public financing Obama replied "yes" in September 2007 when asked if he would agree to public financing of the presidential election if his GOP opponent did the same. Obama has now attached several conditions to such an agreement, including regulating spending by outside groups. His spokesman says the candidate never committed himself on the matter.
3. The Cuba embargo In January 2004, Obama said it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow Castro." Speaking to a Cuban American audience in Miami in August 2007, he said he would not "take off the embargo" as president because it is "an important inducement for change."
4. Illegal immigration In a March 2004 questionnaire, Obama was asked if the government should "crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants." He replied "Oppose." In a Jan. 31, 2008, televised debate, he said that "we do have to crack down on those employers that are taking advantage of the situation."
5. Decriminalization of marijuana While running for the U.S. Senate in January 2004, Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use. In the Oct. 30, 2007, presidential debate, he joined other Democratic candidates in opposing the decriminalization of marijuana.
Top flip-flops? Pshaw, that was nearly four full months ago, and the man was just getting warmed up. And Obama's squirming on campaign finance hadn't even gotten off the ground. The New York Post recently ripped Obama for flipping on this and some other issues as well:
This isn't the first time Obama has, um, "changed" political lanes:
* He ripped Hillary Clinton for months for voting to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Days after Clinton conceded, Obama flipped and said he supported the definition.
* Obama repeatedly vowed to meet with various heads of terror states - most notably Ahmadinejad of Iran - "without preconditions." Then, with the nomination in sight, he zigzagged: "There's no reason why we would necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad. He's not the most powerful person in Iran."
* In October, he supported NAFTA expansion. In March, campaigning in the Ohio primary, he called for a "reopening" of the trade pact's terms. This week, he called his own primary rhetoric "overheated" and said NAFTA has had a positive effect on the US economy.
* Yesterday, after signaling opposition to nuclear power, he told Democratic governors he's open to expanding it.
That Obama is now the King of Flip-Flop will come as a surprise only to his devoted followers who have been too busy swooning over him to notice. Those of us not so easily smitten could have predicted this turn of events. In fact, some did. Consider this blogger who - in a post from August of 2007 titled "Obama The Anti-War Candidate NOW Says He’ll Invade Another Country!" - predicted:
I guarantee this guy is going to turn into the flip-flopping candidate just like his buddy Kerry did in 2003, 2004.
Obama's flip-flop on campaign finance was one that did manage to capture the attention of Mark Shields, a liberal columnist who, unlike most of his peers, still has some integrity.
Barack Obama made history this week. He became the first presidential nominee since Richard Nixon in 1972 to state that his campaign will be funded totally by private donations with no limits on spending.
It was a flip-flop of epic proportions. It was one that he could not rationalize or justify. His video was unconvincing. He looked like someone who was being kept as a hostage somewhere he was so absolutely unconvincing in it. It could not have passed a polygraph test.
I mean, coming up with this bogus argument the Republicans have so much more money -- the Republicans don't have so much more money. He's raised three times as much as John McCain has.
He has every possible committee, except Republican National Committee, Democrats at the Senate level, congressional level have this lopsided edge over Republicans. They spent three times as much, did Democratic leaning 527s, in the last election as did Republicans.
So what Obama didn't admit was, up until February of this year, when he told Tim Russert that not only would he aggressively seek an agreement on public financing, that he personally would sit down with John McCain and work it out, then, all of a sudden, they realized that all these small contributions were coming in and he was going to have a financial advantage in the fall against the Republican, and they grabbed it.
Hat Tip: NewsBusters' Noel Sheppard
Name an issue. Chances are, Obama has flipped on it. Jerusalem?
Within 24 hours of expressing his firm support for a united Jerusalem in a speech to a pro-Israel lobby organization, US Senator Barack Obama found himself forced to backtrack in the face of Arab anger on Thursday.
Debates with John McCain? Here's Obama before McCain challenged him to a series of town hall debates:
If John McCain wants to meet me anywhere, anytime, to have a debate about our respective policies in Iraq, Iran, the Middle East or around the world, that is a conversation I am happy to have.
Here's an Obama spokesperson after:
Mr. Plouffe called the McCain campaign’s offer “appealing,” but said they would prefer a format that is “less structured and lengthier than the McCain campaign suggests, one that more closely resembles the historic debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.”
Oh, well. So much for "anywhere, anytime." Obama fears going mano a mano with McCain on McCain's terms. No one would blame Obama for holding out for a more favorable deal, if only he had not said, "Anywhere, anytime."
If campaign finance was the most opportunistic of Obama's flip-flops, this one has to be the most disingenuous:
In 2007, his campaign told the Chicago Tribune he believed the Washington, D.C. gun ban was constitutional. Now they say that was an "inartful" explanation. Now, the public is supposed to be believe the message of the day from the Obama campaign, which is that of course he knew the gun ban was unconstitutional.
Obama seems to be working hard to make John Kerry look like a straight-shooter.
Now plenty of people oppose gun rights (I am not one of them), and if Obama really is one of these, why play politics with such a fundamental issue?
Oh wait, playing politics with issues is what Barack Obama does.
-snip-
-- Obama wants to reimpose a federal gun ban.
-- Obama voted against the sale of almost all ammunition used regularly for sport shooting and hunting.
-- Obama opposes Right to Carry laws.
-- Obama supports a complete ban on hand-gun ownership.
So now the King of Flip-Flop seems to want to run up the score. That worked so well for John Kerry in 2004, don't you think? (more)
Undecided
Whats the big deal? Happens all the time at work. People are just way too sensitive.yes
I think, I would be fired if I pulled that at work. So yes sexist.